Segmented friction brake or clutch disc assembly

Abstract

A brake or clutch mechanism that has one of its stators or rotors composed of a plurality of circumferential spaced arcuate segments wherein each side portion of a segment has an off-set portion abuttingly engaging an adjacent off-set side portion such as to reinforce the off-set torque lugs which interconnect adjacent peripheral off-set lugs of the brake segments to provide axial reinforcement of the individual annular brake discs.

We claim: 
     
       1. A segmented friction brake or clutch disc having a plurality of identical arcuate segments assembled to form an annular disc with parallel annular surfaces, each segment having a pair of oppositely disposed sides with side edges, said side edges lie along a radial line emanating from the centerline of said annular disc, the respective sides of each of said segments being recessed along the full length of their radial sides to define off-set side portions, said recesses being on opposite sides thereof to make adjacent side portions of adjacent segments have their off-set portions overlapping and in abutting contact, each segment having a lug on their two upper peripheral corners, and a torque link interconnects adjacent lugs of adjacent segments to maintain said segments into a rigid annular brake disc. 
     
     
       2. A segmented friction brake or clutch disc as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said off-set side portions have flat surfaces lying in planar surfaces that are parallel to said parallel annular surfaces of said annular disc. 
     
     
       3. A segmented friction brake or clutch disc as set forth in claim 2 wherein said lugs on each segment are off-set, and each of said torque links have off-set portions that engage said off-set portions of said segments to provide a thickness that is no greater than the thickness of said annular disc. 
     
     
       4. A segmented friction brake or clutch disc as set forth in claim 1 wherein said parallel annular surfaces of said annular disc defines an inner surface and an outer surface, said lugs on each segment are off-set providing thicknesses that are less than the thickness of said segments, said lugs on each segment are spaced axial thereon to define an inner lug and an outer lug, said inner lug having a surface planar with said inner surface of said annular disc, said outer lug having a surface planar with said outer surface of said annular disc, and each of said torque links having circumferentially spaced flanges which are axially spaced relative to each other to abut axially spaced lugs of adjacent segments. 
     
     
       5. A segmented friction brake or clutch disc as set forth in claim 4 wherein said off set side portions on each segment is on the side opposite to the location of the lug closest to it to define a recess in line with said adjacent lug. 
     
     
       6. A segmented friction brake having a plurality of arcuate segments assembled to form an annular disc with parallel annular surfaces, each segment having a pair of spaced braking surfaces that lie in said parallel annular surfaces, one of said segment surfaces being an inner surface and the other one of said segment surfaces being an outer surface, each of said segments having a pair of circumferentially spaced sides, one of said sides being recessed to provide an abutment with a face being part of said inner surface, the other one of said sides being recessed to provide an abutment with a face being part of said outer surface, adjacent segments having adjacent abutments in overlapping abutting engagement, each segment having a lug on their upper peripheral corners, and a torque link interconnecting adjacent lugs from adjacent segments to maintain said segments into a rigid annular disc. 
     
     
       7. A segmented friction brake as set forth in claim 6 wherein the respective lugs on each segment are recessed to define axially displaced lugs relative to each other, and each of said torque links having axially displaced end flanges that are secured to said adjacent lugs. 
     
     
       8. A segmented friction brake as set forth in claim 7 wherein each segment has one lug from said one side recessed to define an off-set flange that has one surface as part of said outer surface and has the other lug from said other one of said sides recessed to define an off-set flange that has one surface as part of said inner surface to thereby present said flanges and abutments on the respective segments that are in substantial radial alignment on opposite sides of their respective segments.